Short Stories of F. Scott Fitzgerald Lesson Plan

There is frequent and explicit racism in many of these stories. While race is almost never a central focus of Fitzgerald’s work, it is important to allow for ample time to address these issues with students. Students should be encouraged to critique the works and explore whether racist characters are being critiqued by Fitzgerald or accepted. Racial slurs are used in both the narration as well as in direct speech. It should be recognized that while the re-appropriation of some slurs (like the n-word) has been a tool of empowerment for many minorities and thus some students may feel comfortable with saying the word out loud, in a classroom setting it is most valuable to develop an...